Author: Savino Carrieri CPL E4

Why don’t i read any stories about Marine Aviation. I went to Jacksonville Fla. for aviation fundamentals 1957 then to Memphis Tenn. for helicopter maintenance school spent 4 years fixing & flying in those recip helicopters remember doing auto rotations & when pilot pulled up on the collective I would bend over & kiss my — goodbye in the hope we would pull out of the auto rotation loved working & flying around on the helicopters it gave me experience that i spent 30+years as a licensed airline mechanic @ SFO went to school after i was discharged March 1962 for my federal A & P License. My biggest disappointment with the USMC is when i went from Corporal E3 to Corporal E4 instead of Sargent E4 but my discharge papers said i was recommended for promotion to Sargent E5. Missed Vietnam couldn’t believe my squadron went over there in those decrepit recip helicopters HMR 462 before that HMR 163 “cheap Opama [Japan] Marines” Semper Fi troops keep them flying! read more

I attended the University of Parris Island in October of 1963. Unlike several, I beat the draft by enlisting!! Boot Camp restrictions are something ONLY a Marine would understand. Among them was a restriction of movement in the barracks after lights out. Unfortunately, natures movement are about the ONLY thing that ignored Drill Instructors! In the middle of ONE night, nature took command and I sneaked into the head around two A.M. It was pitch black and I had to feel my way to the closest relief station. I was in the middle of my mission when I heard the station a couple down from me release it’s cargo. I was frozen and no further relief was possible. As I listened, the other visitor completed his mission and I heard him walk across the floor. THEN, the lights came on! There was one of my Drill Instructors! Let’s just say it didn’t take me long to finish my business! The rest is a blur of memory! Bill Kidd, SSgt, USMC, 1st Battalion, Platoon 185 read more

Hey, SgtGRIT readers and contributors! I need some help. You and SgtGRIT helped me out before with my first book. Now I’m looking for more funny, true boot camp stories that you either experienced yourself or witnessed. I would love to hear from some Women Marines as well this time. Also, I’m sure there are some ex-Drill Instructors among you that could share some pretty funny stories. If you’re willing to contribute stories (yes, more than one can be used) please include your date of enlistment, duty station (PI or SD) and your bootcamp picture if available. read more

my story is more of a question. all your products just motivate the hell out of me! In 1982 I took a picture of mount suribachi from a CH-53 flying off the deck of the USS Peleliu. Our hop was to pick up mail being dropped off by a C-130 on Iwo Jima. I believe it to be divine providence that I took that picture. There is no other picture in existence like this one, as time and vegetation has slowly hiddened it’s scars. I believe this photo had to taken. I believe it compliments joe Rosenthal’s famous photo to a T! I would love to show it to sgt. gritz as you are my brothers. And let me know what you think. I don’t know how to upload a picture but can email. If you do not reply no problem. But I do believe this picture should be kept in prosperity for all time to honor all who battled there. read more

Sgt Robert Hougher USMC Ret.
POB 1270
Fairfield, IA 52556
24July2018

Dear General Dunford

I am a Viet Nam era Marine. I was in Nam all of 1970. I enlisted at age 17. I had received a couple of meritorious promotions and was a Sergeant shortly before I turned 19. I was hit by friendly fire in late December 1970. There needs to be a different definition for friendly fire. It wasn’t friendly to me. read more

I HAVE BEEN A FULL-TIME VOLUNTEER (MOS# 0000), SINCE 2012, TO THE MEMBERSHIP OF “THE SEMPER FI SOCIETY OF THE BRAZOS VALLEY”, IN SEALY, TX. I BECAME AN HONORARY E-1 & BEGAN PAYING YEARLY MEMBERSHIP DUES IN 2014 & IN MAY 2015, MY YEARS OF SERVICE, WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE GOV. OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY & RECEIVED MY COMMISSION AS A “COLONEL, HONORABLE ORDER OF KENTUCKY COLONELS”. ATTACHED IS A PIC OF THE CEREMONY & A FEW OF THE MARINES I HONORABLY SERVE. WHEN I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET LT. GEN. JOE WEBER, USMC (RET) I TOLD HIM: SIR, I NEVER OFFICIALLY SERVED IN THE USMC, BUT NOW THAT I AM RETIRED, I SERVE THOSE WHO TRULY DID SERVE IN THE CORPS. NEVER PRESENTED WITH AN “EGA” PIN, BUT MINE IS TATTOOED ON MY HEART”. HE SMILED, GAVE ME A BIG HUG, LOOKED ME IN THE EYES & SAID—“WELCOME TO THE FAMILY, JARHEAD !!!!!”. TEARS BEGAN TO SLOWLY ROLL DOWN MY FACE—WOW !!!!! AFTER 6 YEARS OF FAITHFUL SERVICE, I HAVE BEEN NOMINATED TO RECEIVE A RANK PROMOTION TO “PFC-VOL.” AND WHETHER OR NOT THIS EVER OCCURS, I AM STILL A VERY BLESSED & CONTENTED SR. CITIZEN, TO BE AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THIS GROUP OF “USMC SPARTANS” —–SEMPER FI, OOORAH, & GOD BLESS THE USA !!!!!! read more

In March of 1958 I measured in at 5’7” when I joined the Corps. In the intervening 60 years I’ve lost an inch of height but not the ability to get in a friendly jab at our brothers and sisters in our nation’s other fine military branches. My wife and I were recently at a local eating establishment that serves great sandwiches and soups. One has to order at the cash register, pay and then give your name so they can find your table. We were waiting at our table for our food to be ready when I walked back up to the register counter to pick up some extra napkins. As I approached, the cute young thing on the register was taking the order of a soldier, standing about 6’2”, 210 lbs or so and wearing utilities – or whatever they’re called these days – with a “U.S. ARMY” patch proudly showing over the left breast pocket. I heard her saying “I’m sorry. You’re in here practically every day but I can’t think of your name.” I walked back to our table and was about to sit down when I noticed him walking over to the self-serve soft drink fountain. Without a thought of what this big bruiser might be capable of doing to me I quickly sidled over to him and said “You know, if that patch there on your jacket said “USMC” instead of “U.S. ARMY” she would have remembered your name.” I reached up, patted him on the shoulder and walked back to my table while he just stood there shaking his head.
Of course, as we left I went by his table and thanked him for his service. read more

I have an 18 yr. old grandson who is a good guy, but with character flaw. He’s is a slob. His facial hair
is coming in black, not real heavy, but vary noticeable. He shaves every 3 or 4 days. It looks like crap.
I tried to explain that he needed to have some self pride. And he should shave every day, if not every day at least every other day. This went in one ear and out his a$$. Still a slob. read more

My enlistment date was March 6, 1958. 11 months later I was still a buck-ass private. After boot camp and ITR the Corps, in its infinite wisdom had decided that I would be sent to electronics school at Treasure Island and then down to MCRD San Diego to the radio repair school. I was neither well suited nor inspired by the prospect, having just dropped out of high school to become a Marine grunt. One of my boot camp platoon mates was an Army Korean war vet with combat experience in tanks, which he had asked for. The Corps made him a cook. But I digress. At Treasure Island I struggled with the class work – electronic theory and application – but I hung on while other guys flunked out. As soon as a guy was dropped from the program he would be reassigned and shipped out. However, before departing for his new duty station he would be given his PFC stripe if his record was clean. Meanwhile, I was told that if I improved my grades I, too, would be raised to the exalted level of E-2. I continued to struggle, but I finally passed the course and was reassigned to MCRD for the next phase – but without that stripe. I continued to struggle with the course and continued to be told that if I magically improved my grade that stripe was out there waiting for me. That caveat had become like a boil on my butt and I was getting pretty p-ssed off watching dropouts getting promoted ahead of me. Then, one day, before the Gunny-instructor started class he made a routine, required, announcement. He said the Inspector General was coming to the base and that any Marine had the right to request to speak to him about anything and wasn’t required to divulge the subject. With hardly a pause he started to go on with the day’s instruction when he noticed I had raised my hand. “What do you need, Private Barber?” He wasn’t used to being interrupted. When I told him I was requesting permission to speak to the I.G. his mouth dropped and every head in the room turned to me. “What for?” he asked but I answered that he had just said I didn’t have to divulge the reason. “Well, maybe I could help without you bothering the I.G.” I told him I didn’t think so because it had been a problem for a while. Class was a little strained that day but then an organized effort was launched to find out what my gripe was. I think every noncom in the school approached me before I was called in to see the Top Sergeant. I explained that I was a little upset that the Corps didn’t see the irony in refusing to give me my stripe because of low grades while passing them out to every man that flunked out. At the next day’s morning formation before class I was called front and center and promoted to PFC. It still makes me smile to think of the sh-t storm that I had stirred up. When I got to class that morning though, the Gunny just looked at me, grinned, shook his head and started class. read more